Stereotypical negativity

After reading Marc Munroe Dion's column, "Why the faith in 'traditional values,'" I had to ask myself, Why does the Daily Herald give this guy a forum to vent his anger? Dion first questions the importance of teaching traditional values in schools today, then shares with us the dark days of his past to explain why teaching traditional values doesn't work.

"I'm 64. I attended both Catholic and private schools," Dion says. He then goes on to say how he was paddled, spanked and smacked in the head by his parents, nuns and teachers. Well, I am 68 and attended Catholic grade school for nine years and never experienced the horrors that Dion claims happened to him, nor did I see other students treated badly. We were taught by lay teachers and nuns who were terrific.

Dion paints the picture of a dark world and pulls out all the anti-Catholic-school stereotypes - a picture overly extreme and embellished with his own paranoia. Just another dose of negativity that I don't need.

Neal Lorenzi

Mundelein